Snoop Dogg’s Serious Pimp Co. Sues Knockoff Brand

Snoop Dogg's clothing and sunglasses company Serious Pimp has reportedly taken legal action against a man whom they claim has knocked off the design of Snoop's signature OG Bandana sunglasses.

According to the lawsuit, Serious Pimp -- founded in 1999 by entrepeneur Damian Kutzner, along with Snoop and spiritual advisor Bishop Don Magic Juan -- was solicited by the defendent, Greg Stefanik, under the pretense of manufacturing and selling the OG Bandana sunglasses in 2007. The deal never came to completetion, however, because the defendent disappeared immediately after he received the artwork for the glasses. Two years later, Kutzner and co. discovered that Stefanik had been selling a knockoff version of their glasses through the Lowrider Magazine website.

"Serious Pimp is a high quality brand that markets high quality products worthy of the many celebrities who wear them. Our sunglasses have never been intended as a mass market product line and selling them at such low prices undermines the value of the products and our brand," Kutzner said in a statement. "The actions of this individual and his cohorts have diminished the value of our brand and negatively impacted our sales."

Stefanik has admitted to selling the glasses without authorization. After multiple cease-and-desist letters were ignored, Serious Pimp had no choice but to seek aggressive litigation in the case.

"We aggressively prosecute to the full extent of the law anyone who violates our trademarks, copyrights, or patents, misappropriates our proprietary intellectual property rights and designs, or harms the Serious Pimp brand," Kutzner concluded.